The great shutter curtain glue choice of 2023

Had a 1972 Nikon F2 with a sticky curtain, and the old foam was dust. My choice was between using a tiny bit of fresh rubber cement or trying to cut and fit a whole new foam strip from a donor camera. I went with the cement, thinking it was the smart, fast fix. Spent an hour with a toothpick and a magnifier, got it perfect. Two days later, the client brings it back because the curtain is now stuck open. Has anyone else had a glue fix backfire like that on an old focal plane shutter?

2 comments

2 Comments

noahpark18d ago

That "smart, fast fix" idea gets me every time. Rubber cement can off-gas for a while and get tacky again in a sealed space. Maybe the solvents needed more than two days to fully leave that old silk.

angelapalmer18d ago

Maybe, but it worked fine for me.